Palace or a Prison
by Sonorous Scripter
Summary: They say that the mind can be either a prison or a palace, and when Zatanna Zatara invokes the mystic energies, her own powers escalate and her psyche is entwined with another magi. Her knowledge of this soon leads to the discovery of a malicious plot.
1. The Key

_Stowed away in the dilapidated ruins of an ancient city was a chamber untouched by the hands of time. In it was said to be the key to harnessing a power older than both Chaos and Order. __But the chamber safeguarding the key had only recently been uncovered by a locator spell. Soon spell casters of all sorts, good and evil, would hear its call and in turn be drawn to it._

Zatanna, Artemis, and Robin headed down one of many underground tunnels. Miss Martian, Superboy, and Kid Flash were on the opposite end of the city, trying their luck at maneuvering to the hidden chamber by a different route. Aqualad waited above ground as their lookout.

"Can you sense it yet Zee?" Robin asked. The tunnel walls were too close together for comfort and the Team had to shuffle sideways in order to move. Not that Zatanna exactly minded brushing shoulders with the boy wonder.

Zatanna drew her eyebrows in concentration. "We're definitely getting closer," she confirmed. "But I think I'm sensing something else, a—another presence maybe?"

_'Do you think it's Abra Kadabra?'_ Artemis wondered silently, clenching her green bow more firmly.

_'I'm not really sure,'_ Zatanna admitted, _'but do we know if Kadabra is even after it?'_

_'That was the tip we received,'_ Aqualad answered pensively, _'It is __likely_, however, that others maybe after the key as well.'

Robin opened his mouth to put in his say, when the tunnel suddenly opened up into a vast chamber. For a moment he just gaped. The walls and ceiling of the chamber looked sounder than those of the tunnels, and heaps of treasure were piled around a pedestal which stood at the chambers heart.

Ingrained in the pedestal were clusters of gemstones, but it was obvious to Zatanna that the true treasure was the brass key, a literal key, resting atop it. It radiated raw power capable of satiating even the most ravenous of necromancers. A power such as this was supposedly capable of empowering mere mortals and the magnitude of the key's magical capacity was unbeknownst to even some of the more prominent Homo Magis.

Zatanna ears were suddenly ringing. A faint melody played in the back of her mind. Its lilting tune called to her, told her to go to the key. She had to have it. It was rightfully hers.

"Look out!" Artemis cried. A tall pony-tailed man stepped into view. He sported a surly expression and his single gold earring gleamed.

_'Aqualad to team. Report.'_

_'Aqualad, we're in the main chamber. Kadabra-" _Robin's voice trailed off.

Guided by Kadabra's magic, one of the chamber's supporting pillars hurtled towards Zatanna. But the key was just within reach and Artemis's warning was wasted on the entranced magician.

"Emoc ot em. Tel em Kcolnu ruoy rewop!" Zatanna's veins were fueled by a blazing fire as magic burst from within her. But her's was not the only spell to be cast on the key at that exact moment. And the simple spell went very wrong very fast as the key's power was pulled into two opposite directions.

Upon hitting the ground, the fallen pillar crumbled where Zatanna had stood. Only she was no longer there.

Robin was running, running against time but he knew he was already too late. This was supposed to be a regular mission. A simple assigned task. Get the key. And get out. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. They'd had a plan. Why hadn't Zatanna stuck to the plan?

"Zatanna," Artemis murmured in a strained, hollow sort of voice. "She's... she's..."

"Gone," Robin whispered. "She's just... gone."

* * *

It was strange to think that with the uttering of a few short words, a hasty enchantment, the simplest of spells, everything had changed.

Zatanna raised a tentative hand to her forehead, and brushed aside tendrils of hair. She was drenched with sweat, and her clothes clung damply to her skin. _Where am I?_

The overhead sky was stark white, as was the landscape that carried on indefinitely, except for faint splashes of grey, black, and red. The air hummed with magic. A dark and ancient sort of magic that made goosebumps lift along her arms._ Artemis? Dick? __Miss Martian?_ she mentally called, willing for the psychic link that enabled them to communicate non-verbally. "Looks like I'm on my own," she sighed, struggling to her feet.

Zatanna gave an involuntary gasp as her vision went black. No... that wasn't right. Everything around her had simply darkened. "Thgil emoc ot ym spitregnif!" she cried. But the incantation was only part of the spell. She had to focus. Zatanna envisioned a ball of pure bright light appearing in the palm of her hand, but instead of feeling the rush of adrenaline when she spellcast, she felt a knife being brought down on her forehead. She would have given an anguished cry if her throat hadn't suddenly closed up. Her head pounded menacingly against her skull. _Just a headache, _she ordered herself to believe, _it's just an ordinary throbbing headache. _

Yet she couldn't refrain from thinking back to when her father had lectured her on anti-spell wards, which acted as a sort of magical barrier, and could leave one's psyche permanently damaged. Only now that he was gone did she wish she'd payed closer attention - not just to the lecture, but to the sound of Giovanni Zatara's voice. Zatanna thought back to when she had said "I may have saved Fate from Savage, but I can't save my father from Fate." That small sentence carried the tremendous guilt that had weighed on her chest since losing her father. Her fault. No matter what anyone said, it was entirely her fault.

Massaging her temples, Zatanna traipsed forwards. She couldn't dwell on what was done, only on what could still be. And right now, she needed to find a way out of this plane of reality. For starters, there had to be an end to this expanse of black. And she wasn't about to stand around in the dark waiting for whatever was out there to come and find _her_.

She staggered on through the pitch-blackness in silence, not yet ready to test her voice after her last painful attempt at invoking the mystic energies. The sheer silence of this 'realm', if that's what it was, was leaving her feeling quite perturbed. But even more startling still was the loud hiss that resounded as her stiletto was brought down on something resembling a tail.

"Mrow." A pair of luminous crimson eyes flashed malignantly at her. Her surroundings flickered and in an instant she could see again.

She stumbled backwards as the cat lithely darted out of sight. She'd seen that particular cat before but she quite couldn't pinpoint when. Zatanna narrowed her blue deep-set eyes. _If you're here then your owner must be_ _too. _

She couldn't exactly chase after the cat in her stilettos, and it seemed that any spell Zatanna attempted would only rebound its magical force upon her, but at least she knew that she wasn't the only being here.

* * *

A long hand with sharp black fingernails reached out. "Oh there you are Teekl." The cat jumped into his arms, and he slowly caressed his familiar's fur.

"I should have my new toy by now. Someone's not playing fair." The key had been an inch from his grasp when he felt himself being pulled by some opposing force. It was those little sidekick brats, he was sure of it.

But why had he been sent back here? To a world he had locked away in his subconscious? This plane of existence had already been ravaged by chaos. And he didn't need to feed yet.

Klarion was about to phase out of this world, when he felt a chill run through him. Someone had used a guiding spell. It was the faintest tingle of magic.

"Baby magic."

* * *

Zatanna knelt over the pale ground and traced four arrows pointing north, south, east and west through the chalky white substance she could only assume was dirt. Next, she drew an arrangement of runes. It was a simple guiding spell that didn't require an incantation. It only worked for someone who had magic running through their veins. The guiding spell was a kind of magic, but at the same time wasn't.

Zatanna examined the runes for a moment. They were intricate symbols that after years of studying, she had learned to read with ease.

_Guide me, point me_

_Lead me, find me._

For a moment she thought she could feel a sudden gust of wind whistle through her hair, but she didn't feel a particular pull in any single direction. Just the overwhelming feeling that there was activity from all around.

A bony finger tapped on her shoulder. Zatanna's heart was in her throat as she turned on her heel. It was a hunched woman with wisps of white hair. Her face was buried in the bushel of roses she bore in her arms.

"Do you know where we are?" Zatanna asked aloud, her voice scratchy but audible.

The woman flinched and one of the red roses fell from her arms. Zatanna automatically stooped to pick it up. But the moment Zatanna touched it, it crumbled into dust.

She could hear her blood pounding in her ears as the tip of her shaking fingers skimmed over the rest of the rose petals. They each in turn broke away into nothingness. Now the woman's face was no longer hidden.

Her waxen skin was stretched tightly over her bones, and without the assortment of roses to conceal her, Zatanna could see see her emaciated, skeletal figure.

She forced herself to focus not on the woman's ghastly appearance, but on her eyes. The window to one's soul. They were glazed over and pure white.

Without warning, the old woman's hand shot out and closed around Zatanna's wrist. "Let go!" she cried, trying to wrench her arm out of the woman's grasp, but to no avail.

The woman raised a gnarled finger and gestured to a vantage point in the distance, where a flickering purple glow reached up to the sky, and just like the roses, she crumbled to dust.


	2. Pandemonium

Zatanna sunk to her knees. She was shaking uncontrollably. She'd never known what it felt like to be so trapped. _Did I kill her? As soon as we made contact she, well... _

Zatanna's eyes stung, and a tear glossed over her vision. "Stop crying," she ordered herself, a sob wracking her body. After taking a minute to compose herself, she stood. She had to be strong. Her father had given up control of his body to save her from Doctor Fate. Her friends had risked their lives countless times. For her sake and others'. Now it was her time to be the hero.

The area with the purple glow was logically the only place to go, so Zatanna summoned her courage and followed in the direction the old woman had pointed to. She climbed up the sloping hill and stopped in front of a swirling well.

Scintillating swirls of purple churned. Without ever witnessing it before, Zatanna instantly knew it for what it was. "A soul well," she breathed.

Only capable of being created by immense demonic energy, soulwells were capable of trapping and harvesting any souls detached from their physical body. When there was a high enough energy concentration from the trapped souls, the creator of the well could feed, increasing his or her power tenfold. But the soulwell required energy in return to keep the spirits eternally bound.

Zatanna leaned over the well. _This must be what it's like for M'gann to read minds_. She could hear the whispers of the lost souls trapped in eternal damnation.

Her hypersensitivity to supernatural forces of any kind gave her a rough idea of how many souls were trapped. Hundreds at least. Hundreds of desperate thoughts, emotions, and memories that resonated as one voice. One single voice to carry their hopeless tale. A warning to others of what could just as easily become their fate.

But the real question was, who had trapped these souls here in the first place? And who or what was keeping them bound to the soulwell?

"Welcome to the party," said a high, almost childlike voice.

Zatanna whirled around only to be face-to-face with Klarion the Witch boy. Another silhouette stepped out of the shadows. It was the cat she'd seen earlier. But it wasn't a cat; it was Klarion's familiar.

When Zatanna did not voice a response, Klarion continued, "Though I don't remember putting any of the super brats on my guest list."

"And here I thought my invite just got lost in the mail."

Klarion cackled. "Look at that Teekl. A crasher already. And we haven't even had cake yet."

"You know I've never been one for playful banter," Zatanna snapped. There was something about the Lord of Chaos that set her off. His whole aura was dark and spiteful.

Klarion scratched his chin with one of his pointed nails. "Then why don't you just cut straight to one of your baby spells?"

Zatanna balled her hands into fists and jutted her chin defiantly. He would know her anger. He would know how strong she had become.

"Ezylara—" Zatanna's voice faltered as she remembered. Her spells didn't work here. Which meant that one of the Light's most vindictive members had power at his disposal, while she had no means of defending herself.

Teekl hissed almost mockingly at her. Klarion grinned. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" He cackled again.

"Why don't you cast one of _your_ spells if you're so strong?" Zatanna challenged.

"Like I'd waste my magic on the little league," he sneered.

A smile fought its way to Zatanna's lips. "You don't have any magic either, do you?"

Klarion curled his lower lip and stared at her. It almost reminded her of the way Dick would sometimes look at her; like she was some sort of puzzle that he had to carefully analyze, yet for some reason couldn't quite figure out.

But maybe Klarion understood her better than her teammate, because in a moment he was smiling again.

"Do you know where we are?"

Zatanna didn't respond. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

Regardless of this, his grin grew even wider. He inched closer to her.

"We're in my subconscious. And I_ don't_ need magic to hurt you." He moved at breakneck speed and dug his nails into Zatanna's arm. His other hand twisted her around. Only after a painful yelp tumbled from her lips did he release her.

A bloom of blood pearled on her arm from where his razor nails had impaled her flesh.

"If this is _your_ subconscious," she gasped through gritted teeth, "then why am _I_ here?"

* * *

Doctor Fate floated above the chamber's floor. "I can sense that Zatanna Zatara's disappearance was not of her own accord. She was ripped out of this existence by a force opposed to order," his words echoed with the force of two synchronized voices.

Robin stopped pacing. He and Aqualad were the only Team members still at the Chamber. The rest had returned to Mount Justice to get some rest, after forty-eight hours of useless waiting. "Opposed to order? You mean like chaos?" Dick's mind jumped to their last confrontation with the witch boy. But what could Klarion possibly want with Zatanna?

Fate's eyes flashed a blinding golden color. "A higher power maybe. But that does not mean it is inherently good or evil."

"Is there not any way of returning Zatanna here?" Aqualad asked.

"No. She will have to find her own way out before it is too late."

"What do you mean too late?" Robin's jaw was clenching and unclenching.

"If she spends too much time in another reality, her natural ties here will be severed. That is the reason why the Lord of Chaos requires an anchor to remain in this world. If time runs out, any chance of her return may be implausible."

"Can't you send one of us to help her?" Desperation was creeping into Robin's voice.

Fate bowed his head. When he spoke, he almost sounded more like Zatara. "I'm afraid that is outside of even my limits."

* * *

Klarion didn't answer right away. The baby magician seemed genuinely ignorant on the matter. The problem was that he wasn't sure why they'd both ended up here either.

The key must have been what had sent them here. If two spells had indeed been cast on it at the exact same time, and if the two spells were of equal power, then the magic would have been diverted into two separate directions. He was pure chaos, while Zatanna was sided with order. It made sense. But surely the magician's power didn't rival his own!

"Why am I here?" Zatanna repeated, as small droplets of blood trickled down her arm.

Klarion raised an eyebrow. "I was supposed to get my key. But you can be my play thing instead." Her ran one of his nails down her jawline, and slowly traced her lips. He could feel her shiver against his touch.

Zatanna shut her eyes. _'This is wrong. This is wrong.'_

Klarion did a doubletake. He could hear her thoughts. And despite his mystical prowess, telepathy had never been one of his abilities.

_'And he doesn't know anything more than I do! He's just trying to put everything on his terms.' _Zatanna's voice echoed in Klarion's own mind.

_'But now why would I do a thing like that?' _

Zatanna gasped and clamped her hands over her ears. "You're in my... g-get out of my head Klarion!" For good measure she added silently _'Get out!'_

_'Hmm... and now you're in mine._'

Klarion watched the little magician squirm, relishing in her obvious discomfort. It was so much more fun when they squirmed. He reached his hand forward to touch her cheek.

"Klarion," there was a slight tremor to her voice, "I want answers now. I want out of this realm."

Distorted images began flashing sporadically through both Zatanna's and Klarion's mind. Zatanna saw a woman being tortured senseless. A face, Klarion's face, being contorted into a demonic appearance. She watched, unable to block out, a bloody victory dripping down Klarion's lips as he stood over a lifeless, mangled body.

Yet somehow she could also sense which of her memories were being witnessed by Klarion.

The first magic trick Zatanna's father had ever performed for her. The night she and Artemis had fought a psychotic murderer named "Harm". The first kiss she'd shared with Dick...

Zatanna was about to lash out at Klarion—whether he had meant to see her memories or not—when a single last image flashed across her vision. All other thoughts were pushed to the periphery of her mind as the scene played out.

That last memory... Klarion's memory... left her numb to the core.


	3. Entice

There are some moments in life when it hits you just how bad the world really is. From the first time evil touches your childhood, to when your heart is broken, sometimes you wonder why the bad things linger longer than the good. This was one of those moments. When humanity was called into question.

"Oh my god Klarion," Zatanna murmured. "All those people. You just went and killed all those _innocent_ people_."__  
_

He scoffed. "I didn't just go and kill them. I played with them first."

He'd killed so many innocents without blinking an eye, just so that he'd have souls for when he found use for them. Zatanna's hand flew to her mouth upon sudden realization. "The soulwell... you're not just using it to increase your own power; you're going to create a weapon!"

Klarion bent to scoop up his familiar, and slowly stroked Teekl's fur. "Aw, you saw that too. Now I really can't let you leave. And I was going to have so much fun with you and your playmates." Klarion sighed at the inconvenience.

Zatanna, however, was much more concerned with the vial suspended from Teekl's collar. It had always been there, she realized. But before now she'd never known, or even thought to wonder, what it really was.

The vial appeared to be a reddish color, but in truth it was actually transparent. Its contents, however, were the exact shade of blood. Which was also the same color as Klarion's chaos powers.

She had to get her hands on the vial. But Klarion would easily stop her before she could get to it. And his familiar wouldn't exactly be a trouble-free obstacle either.

"You know," she said slyly, "your idea of a weapon could work. Some people need a little more chaos in their life." She took a few steps towards him, leaving only a sliver of distance. "I could help you, once my magic comes back. Our powers combined could accomplish more than you'd think," she cajoled.

Klarion closed the gap between them. "What game are you playing, my pet?"

Zatanna's eyes darted to Klarion's lips, and back up to his eyes. It was his move. Klarion smirked and fitted his mouth to hers. He twined his fingers through her hair, and Zatanna ran a hand up his chest. Teekl rested on his shoulder.

Her hand brushed Teekl's fur as she groped blindly for his collar. A moment later, her hand was gripping the vial. She yanked the vial from the cat's collar and Teekl mewed loudly. Klarion broke away from Zatanna. She stumbled backwards, and held the vial tauntingly over the soulwell.

"No, no, no!" Klarion cried, his face flushed from anger.

"Release all the souls you've trapped and give me your word that you will return me to my dimension."

Oaths were not quite the same for magic users as they were for mortals, or even meta humans. When they swore to do something, they were held to their promise by a binding sort of magic.

"Stupid girl. You don't even know what that vial is."

"I know it's powerful." Zatanna held the ampoule precariously between her index and middle finger. "Make the oath now or I drop it into the soulwell."

"In that vial is chaos in its purest form. The embodiment of destruction." Klarion kept his voice level, but it was obvious that patience was not something he regularly practiced.

"I thought _you_ were pure chaos."

Klarion smirked. "Mmm chaos personified, yes. But this... this is different."

Zatanna could tell that Klarion was stalling, but that was exactly what she wanted him to do. For all she knew, the contents of the vial could cause irreparable damage to the spirit's psyches. If she could keep him talking, she might be able to find out exactly what his plans were.

"If you drop that into the well it'll consume all the little spirits. They'll reign destruction on everything and there won't be anyway to control them."

"But we're in your subconscious," Zatanna said slowly, "so the only damage they could really do is to your mind. Why would you even risk that? Why would you leave the vial with your cat, and bring it here?"

Klarion narrowed his eyes into slits. Dumb baby magician. Did she peg him as a fool? The vial was safest with Teekl. And he had to bring it here. It was one of the three things he needed to create his weapon. The energy from the harvested souls. The chaos contained vial. And the key. Which thanks to the magician, he also didn't have.

"Must you make everything I do your business?"

Zatanna opened her mouth to respond, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Klarion's familiar darted though the air, raking his claws across her skin and tearing part of her outfit.

In her shock, the vial slipped from her fingertips. She made a move to grab it, but her hand wrapped around empty air. There was nothing more Zatanna could do than watch it fall down the well.

* * *

He heaved an old box of books into his daughter's room. "Here are some spell books you can use to, uh, start your training."

A look of awe took over Zatanna's features. She'd done simple spells even as a young child, but with her eleventh birthday just around the corner, she could finally start her official training in the magical arts.

Giovanni gave a melancholy smile as she began to leaf through the crinkled pages of one the books.

"I-I am so proud of you Tanna." She looked up at his face. His blue eyes crinkled the way they did when he was smiling, but she sensed that underneath his happy expression were layers of guilt and sadness.

"I love you dad." She was almost a teenager. She couldn't get overly emotional over things. Regardless of this, tears pricked at her eyes. "I'll practice spells every day. I'll become just as good as you... and mom." In her head she added, _'I evig uoy ym drow.'_

"I know you will." Giovanni planted a kiss on her forehead and exited the room. Zatanna turned back to her spellbooks. Most of them had simple, unembellished covers. Yet her eyes were for some reason drawn to a small black book outlined with gold. It was sandwiched between "Hexes and Curses: Volume One" and "Reading Runes".

She unearthed the dust covered book and opened it to a random page. For a moment it appeared to be blank, but faded images slowly formed where white space had been seconds before. After a moment the photos brightened and she could see them clearly. "It's a photo album," she murmured excitedly. But not just any photo album; it was an album of her parents.

One photo captured Sindella and Giovanni mid-laugh with a carnival as the background. Another showed them at the circus. A caption appeared underneath the first photo. _I love you John._

Zatanna sobbed into her pillow as she continued to stare at the photos. After a minute or two, the photos on the page flashed and new ones appeared. The album was enchanted, but it wasn't just a collection of photos; it was a link to Sindella's strongest memories. Zatanna spent the rest of the evening looking at the different pages, until she finally made it to the end. The top of the last page showed an ultrasound, and beneath it was a letter.

_Though I have not yet laid eyes on my daughter, I love her more than would seem possible. I do not wish to worry John, but this pregnancy is sapping me of all my strength, energy, and even magic. With said power running through both mine and John's veins, I can guarantee that my sweet daughter will not have an easy life. She will one day surpass both of us in the field of enchantments, and I have faith that she will go on to be one of the greatest magicians of this era._

_A while back I visited a distant friend of mine, Madame Xanadu. She does not believe in the supernatural, but unknowingly possesses the true gift of sight. When I asked her for my fortune, she went into a trance-like state, and told me that my daughter would one day control immense power. Because of this, many evils will try to turn her. Xanadu also predicted that one day evil would succeed and manage to establish a connection with her. _

_ But I know in the end she will be good. Yes, she is destined for a hero's life. One that is always tied to tragedy. But as long as she knows much she is loved, the purity of her heart will outweigh any despair she faces in life. I have known for a while, I fear in my heart I have always known, that I will not survive this pregnancy. But I will fight for my daughter and she will live. _

_I love you my dear husband, Giovanni Zatara. And my precious daughter, Zatanna Zatara._

_P.S. if you're reading this Zatanna, this book now belongs to you. It's enchanted, and the picture's change to the owner's memories. I love you baby xoxo  
_

_-Mom_

* * *

As the vial dropped, time seemed to stand still. "No!" Klarion yelled, and with a snap of his fingers, the ampoule flew back out of the well and into his grasp.

"You do have magic!" Zatanna exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, would you look at that." Teekl purred at his master's feet. "It's rather strange that my magic's only working now. I felt practically mortal until our kiss, baby magician."

His words caused Zatanna to think back to a time, years ago, when she'd read her mother's letter. '_Many evils will try to turn me,' _Zatanna recited in her head, '_but one day a connection will be established.' _

Could it be that she was somehow connected to Klarion?

_'You're forgetting I can still hear you thoughts.' _Klarion's mock sing-song voice echoed in Zatanna's mind.

Without warning, Zatanna cried "laiv esaeler flesrouy morf s'noiralk dloh dna rettahs!"

Zatanna's spell worked, but perhaps a bit too well. The vial flew from Klarion's clutches and shattered, its crimson contents flying in all directions. Zatanna raised her arm to shield her face, and several droplets landed on her. Her skin sizzled and holes burned in her flesh from where the chaos had touched her. In the back of her mind she could hear someone screaming. Loud, torturous screams. It took Zatanna a few moments to realize that the one screaming was her.


	4. Split Second

M'gann's cascade of reddish-brown hair framed her face as she sat cross-legged on the floor. Her amber eyes glowed green. She couldn't understand why her telepathic powers were suddenly failing her.

She had the ability to track Zatanna's whereabouts, but for some reason she just couldn't locate her.

If Zatanna was in danger, it was up to the Team to save her. Though no one exactly turned to M'gann for answers, everyone knew that this was her field. She should've been able to find her. "This is hopeless," M'gann whispered, breaking the trance.

_There_ was a firm knock on the door. "Come in," she called.

With a creak, the door opened a crack. It was Conner. "Any luck yet?"

For a moment M'gann was caught in the ocean of his eyes, his intense stare a tidal wave that stole her breath and held her beneath the surface of reality.

"Oh, um, nothing yet." A faint blush crept up her neck. "I-I just don't know why it's not working," she babbled on, "I mean, as long as Zatanna uses her magic, there should be a way to track where she is. But it's like she's completely disappeared and—"

M'gann's eyes flashed, and she clenched her jaw in concentration.

"Wha—" M'gann held up a finger to silence Conner. She needed to focus.

After a minute she smacked herself upside the head. "Hello, Megan! Of course! The reason I couldn't trace her is because she hasn't used her magic. Until now, anyways."

"So you know where she is?"

"Load the bioship. We're setting course for the Bialyan border."

* * *

Zatanna had screamed herself hoarse. Her arm trembled violently._ 'What's happening to me?' _Her skin was raw and red from where the chaos had touched her, accentuated with faint rings of black. Some time between the vial breaking and her screaming, she'd collapsed to the ground. _  
_

Klarion watched her passively. "See what happens when you side yourself with order?" He shook his head disapprovingly, and, after indicating to his cheek where some of the chaos had made contact, added, "this is how chaos rewards its followers." He was already absorbing the the chaotic power.

But despite the vigorous effect the chaos had on him, Klarion was rather vexed that his meticulous plan had been wasted. If everything had gone accordingly, the ultimate weapon of destruction would've been his. The mortal world would've been in complete pandemonium.

"Laeh ym seirujni," Zatanna managed to choke out. She felt a momentary reprieve from the pain, but the excruciating sting came rushing back all to soon. _'Make it stop,' _she pleaded silently.

Klarion just laughed. _'But you're so much more fun this way.' _Zatanna felt a sudden surge of hate towards him. She hated hearing his voice in her mind. It was so much more intimate that way. She hated that he had the power to make her pain go away, but didn't. She hated feeling helpless.

Klarion lowered himself to her eye level. His eyes danced with malcontent, and he grinned.

Zatanna wanted to stand proud and tall, to show Klarion she was not inferior to him, but the energy to do so had completely deserted her.

"You didn't really think you stood a chance against a Lord of Chaos, did you?" He grabbed her festering arm and examined chaos's touch. Her veins now had a blackish tinge. An average human would've been dead within a minute of being infected. His curiosity was piqued. Would the chaos evoke a darker side of her, or would she simply die?

Silent tears rolled down Zatanna's cheeks. _Don't cry little girl. Tears won't help you now. _Klarion felt somewhat disgusted by her weak display of human emotions. Tears were such useless things. Fascinating, in their own way, but useless nonetheless.

Klarion's nails grew longer and sharper, and he ran his index finger down the thin trail Zatanna's tears had left on her cheeks, causing a small stream of blood. "I'd love to resume our little game, but I have places to be. Now that my powers are working again. But don't go anywhere. I'll most certainly be back," he paused to laugh. "Toodle-oo."

Klarion dissipated like smoke, and reappeared at the other end of his subconscious dimension. He stood, facing a nearly invisible doorway. It was the only way out. And there was no way that Zatanna would _ever_ discover it.

* * *

After meeting the Team at the rendezvous point, Aqualad and Robin boarded the bioship.

"Miss M., are you positive that Zatanna's in Bialya?" Robin inquired automatically.

"That's what I saw," she said with a shrug.

"But are you completely sure?" Robin's voice came out louder and more forcefully than he'd intended.

_'Dick,' _Aqualad laid a hand on his shoulder, _'we must trust M'gann's judgement. While I do not know how Zatanna could have been transported there, it is the only real lead we have.' _

_'Thank you Kaldur,'_ M'gann said with a rush of gratitude at his support.

Dick shrugged off his hand and slid into a seat. He stared out the window as the ship took off.

"Dude, it gonna be okay. We'll find her," Kidflash assured him.

Robin didn't voice a reply. It was a quiet journey.

The scenery became a blur as the they neared their destination. After what seemed like ages, the ship finally landed alongside a looming rock structure. The Team stepped onto the desert terrain and followed Miss Martian's lead.

M'gann pressed her delicate green hand against the rock. "I sensed Zatanna here, but there's no way to get in," she squinted, running her hand further along it, "no door."

Conner pulled his arm back. "Then let's make one."

"Wait!" Artemis blurted. "If Zatanna's in there, the last thing we want is a cave-in." She readied her bow, and shot an arrow about fifty feet from them. A section of the rock simply vanished.

"Are you serious?!" Kidflash exclaimed. "How did—?"

Artemis smiled smugly. "I saw part of the 'rock' in that area ripple. Figured it had to be an illusion."

"A clever observation," Aqualad noted. "Perhaps we should devise a strategy before entering. If Zatanna is being held against her will, we do not want to tip her captive of our presence." Kaldur turned to where Robin had stood only seconds before, but the boy wonder was no where to be seen.

* * *

"Klarion," Zatanna called out, but he was long gone. Why was it his name on her lips? She felt so weak, so pathetic. At this point, death would be a welcome release.

Klarion's familiar watched her unblinkingly for a moment, and then, with feline grace, scampered away.

"Tel em wollof eht s'railimaf spets," her voice barely more than a whisper. Black and red spots danced across her vision as she used up even more of her life force. The world was spinning like a carousel as Zatanna's nearly lifeless body was pulled along by her spell.

After a bit of erratic wandering, Teekl paused to stretch. Zatanna's spell stopped pulling her along a few paces behind where the familiar had stopped. She watched with labored, uneven breaths, barely clinging to life.

Teekl seemed to be staring intently at something. He lifted his paw and it vanished.

_'Of course!' _Zatanna realized, _'Familiar's can travel through worlds!'_

Despite her dizziness and pain, she was relieved. That was the doorway out. If she could enter it a split second after Teekl, she'd be able to enter back into her world. If she didn't time it right, however, she'd be trapped in the veil between worlds, a blackened, endless abyss, supposedly impossible to escape from.

Zatanna inched closer. After a moment, Teekl walked through the invisible gateway. She forced herself to follow in the cat's wake. The dimension around her peeled away. She was a snake shedding its skin. It was like being reborn. A freeing, dizzying feeling.

But a second later it occurred to her that everything had gone completely and utterly black. She'd been a second too late. And that split second had changed everything.


	5. Nonchalant

The seconds ticked away, soon turning to minutes. Those minutes would stretch into hours, and in turn become days, then weeks, and then years. But in this dark, quiet place Zatanna had no comprehension of time.

She felt hollow inside. Anger, despair, and even pain from her injuries, _should_ have been bubbling up inside of her. But there was nothing. She felt nothing. And there was nothing around her. Just emptiness.

The sad thing was, she didn't really care—she was too far gone to care.

The veil between worlds was a strange place. No sky, and no ground, and no way to tell whether she was hovering, floating, or standing.

But then a sudden, desperate though struck Zatanna. 'I_ need to help my friends!' _But why exactly did they need help? And who were her friends?

So she just stayed where she was. Partly because helping her 'friends' no longer seemed so urgent, and partly because she wasn't really sure how to move. How long until she melted into the shadows and became part of the vast black void surrounding her?

A space in front of her rippled, and shimmered, and a brilliant white circle opened up. The sudden light was like needles to her eyes. Out of the circle stepped a small boy with ashen skin, sunken eyes, and bones that jutted out. The largest part of his legs were his kneecaps. The boy stared animatedly at Zatanna, before offering his outstretched hand.

She hesitated. Who was this little boy? Why was he here? Zatanna could find no reason why she should go anywhere with him, but something about his gaze, the innocence it held, pulled her back to humanity.

Their fingers interlocked and she followed him through the white circle. The veil faded away.

"Thank you. You saved my life," Zatanna breathed.

The boy nodded. He opened and closed his mouth, like a loose hinge, but no sound came out.

Zatanna narrowed her eyes. "Tnarg siht yob hceeps," she cast, sparks of magic dancing across her fingertips.

"Can you save me?" he asked earnestly. He touched her arm (thankfully not the burnt one), and an image imprinted itself on her eyelids. The soulwell. "Can you save all of us?"

She gulped. There was no way she could pretend that her magic rivaled Klarion's demonic abilities. But she owed this little boy her life. And that kind of debt was not easily repaid.

"I promise I'll do anything... everything I can to save you. All of you."

The boy smiled, and just like the old woman Zatanna had earlier encountered, crumbled to dust.

* * *

Kladur pinched the bridge of his nose. As the leader of the group, he was the voice of reason. But regardless of the sensible direction he tried to point him and his teammates in, Robin often proved to be reckless, straying ahead of the group before a plan could be properly formulated.

"So," Kidflash asked, "wadda we do?"

"Let's just follow Robin," Artemis said simply.

"Shouldn't we come up with a plan first?" Miss Martian wondered aloud.

The four of them turned to Kaldur for direction. Sometimes he felt a bit whelmed being the unspoken leader of the group. Whatever happened to any of them on their missions reflected on him. He swallowed.

"We should do as Artemis suggested," he said finally. "Time is of the essence."

Kidflash sped ahead as the rest of the group hastily made their way to the secret entrance. Aqualad brought up the rear, but was the first to approach the entrance. He entered tentatively, and found himself on the inside of a high-vaulted cave, lined with lit torches. "Follow me," he beckoned quietly, wary of any echoes that would reveal their presence.

The Team plodded forwards, an eerie silence taking hold of them. Aqualad stared at the cave wall, searching for a figure where the light failed to touch. His shoulders were tense as he listened and watched for any trace of movement.

Aqualad noticed that Miss Martian had stopped abruptly, but he kept pace. "I think I'm sensing something but I—" her sentence was cut off as a glowing red knife sliced through the air. About twice as large as the average sized person, it moved of its own accord.

Aqualad was just able to make out some sort of symbol affixed to its hilt, when he was forced to dodge left.

"What is that?" Superboy gasped aloud.

The blade grazed Kidflash's shoulder. "Slice 'em and dice 'em," he winced. Artemis shot a volley of arrows, but the moment they made contact with the sword, they burned away without leaving so much as a scratch.

"It appears to be of supernatural origin," Aqualad concluded through gritted teeth, as he struck the sword with his water-bearers.

His bare arms made contact with the sword, and he was blasted backwards, his flesh now raw as he smacked into the cave wall.

"Kaldur!" Artemis' voice suddenly seemed faint.

Aqualad slumped forwards and he knew no more.

* * *

"Come out, come out little birdy," Klarion cackled, casually examining the birdarang Robin had flung at him. His soul had been detached from his body when Batman's little sidekick had arrived, not yet released from his subconscious dimension, but his magic permanently encased him in an invisible protective shield. Now that he was conscious, he was going to get revenge on this disturbance.

"Don't you want to know what happened to your little friend? You know, the baby magician? Oh, what was her name again?"

Klarion was met with dead silence. "Oh, you're no fun at tall," he sighed. "Teekl, why don't you go finish off the tweety bird, and I'll go and play with my other pet. As I'm sure she'd put it: ti lliw eb nuf."

Robin retreated from his cover in the shadows and stepped into the light. "Don't. You. Touch. Her."

Klarion grinned toothily, his teeth warped into sharp fangs. He paused before replying, savoring the anger he'd provoked in Robin. A second later, one of Robin's gadgets exploded near the opening into this particular cave tunnel. Stalactites and rock tumbled from the roof of the cave, sealing them in.

Klarion narrowed his eyes into slits, hatred contorting his face. He couldn't believe he'd let one of the super brats catch him off guard.

He was about to cast a spell, when a deafening blast of energy resounded from behind. The lord of chaos whirled around only to see a ripple of light. It had to be Zatanna. But how could she possibly have—?

Klarion flicked a finger in Robin's direction and the bird boy was frozen in place a midst the shadows. A petite figure stepped through the circular portal. "Thank you," she whispered over her shoulder to someone. To no one. When she turned, she met Klarion's eyes.

They stared for a moment. Zatanna noted that the torchlight bathed Klarion in an orange haze, his normally blue tinged skin now almost gold. Her own body was framed by the soft light and flickering shadows danced across both of their faces.

"How's the arm?" Klarion smirked, penetrating the silence.

She cradled her wounded arm, and the taste of bile pervaded her mouth. "Better," she muttered, and the pain had indeed lessened. But she felt something else, some sickening feeling coursing through her, that seemed to stem from her burned flesh.

_ 'Don't lie,'_ Klarion advised silently. Zatanna's blue eyes widened. Even outside of Klarion's subconscious his voice still echoed in her mind. How long would this connection linger? What had even caused it?

_'I know you can feel it. Corrupting you.'_

"What?" Zatanna demanded aloud, not wanting to continue the conversation telepathically. Not wanting anything to do with him, especially something so intimate.

_'The chaos isn't just in your bloodstream. It's merged with your DNA,'_ Klarion paused to let his words, or rather, thoughts, sink in. _'Soon you'll realize just how tantalizing chaos really is.'_

Not a single expression was painted across Zatanna's face. Maybe she was stronger than Klarion thought. But her lips quivered ever so slightly, betraying her emotions.

Klarion took a step towards her. She took a step back. _'Don't you want to know what true chaos tastes like?'_ He risked another step, but this time Zatanna didn't move. He leaned into her and cupped her face in his hands.

Zatanna took a sharp intake of breath, and realized that she couldn't pull away. It wasn't attraction, she told herself, but the hunger those few droplets of pure chaos had planted in her. The hunger for more. More chaos.

Klarion's fingers brushed against the nape of her neck. He kissed her heatedly, and tugged at her ebony hair. Her hands stayed firmly at her sides, but regardless, she kissed him back, drinking in the moment.

Robin could only watch unblinkingly. Unable to move, unable to tear his eyes away. His heart was slowly sinking in his chest.

* * *

Artemis tried to run to Aqualad, but had to veer away as the sword targeted her.

"How do we beat this thing?" Superboy's hands were clenched into taut fists.

Kidflash set his jaw. I'll run ahead and find Rob. And Zatanna." He was a blur of yellow and red.

Miss Martian's eyes flashed. "Wally no!"

As fast as Kidflash was, the sword proved even faster. The red weapon exuded chaotic energy as it prepared to land a fatal blow. M'gann levitated Kidflash out of the way without a second to spare. "Everyone stop moving! The sword, I-I think it's attracted to movement."

They did as they were told, and the sword froze, hovering in midair. "Now what?" Artemis asked out of the corner of her mouth.

"I have an idea. Everyone, slowly form a circle around it. And then, um, when I give the word," she stumbled across her train of thought, not accustomed to giving the orders. "When I give the word," she repeated, 'we walk around it slowly. It should be pulled into different directions."

"Ring-around-the-rosie," Kidflash murmured, "I can handle that."

Artemis, Wally, and Conner did as M'gann advised, and in a moment, the sword dissipated into reddish smoke.

Superboy turned back to Aqualad. "One of us should stay with him. I will, I guess."

Miss Martian nodded in agreement, and then the three of them ran deeper into the cave.

* * *

Klarion's lips traveled up the expanse of her neck, and Zatanna felt her own hunger for chaos swell. Pure, wild, manic chaos.

His nails lightly grazed her skin, but as their lips met again, his grip on her intensified.

Zatanna's eyes flitted open for a moment, and she spied a face obscured by shadow. It looked like..._ 'Robin.'_

Zatanna broke away from the kiss, and her lust was for chaos melted away. Klarion tried to capture her lips once more, but she moved out of reach.

"Esaeler," she waved her hand with a flourish, and Robin was no longer frozen.

"Zee," his voice was soft and indistinct.

"Dick," tears welled in her eyes, "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

He cleared his throat. "But not sorry you did it."

Klarion reveled in their discomfort as Zatanna squirmed.

The magician averted her gaze, and crossed her arms over her chest. Zatanna could feel Dick's gaze boring into her. She uncrossed her arms and let them dangle awkwardly at her sides.

A million excuses worked their way to the surface of her mind, but she knew that there was a line between admitting and confessing. And there was no way she could brush something as serious as making-out with Klarion — a member of the Light, an enemy of the entire League — aside.

So they just stood, facing the other, guilt and hurt as clear as day.

Robin fixated on the few tears that had slipped from Zatanna's eyes. He'd seen her with Klarion, yet there was still a part of him that wanted to wipe her tears away. He didn't want to be part of the reason why she cried.

Klarion laughed to himself. "Well, I think I'll be going. Let's do this again sometime. Ta-ta." He scooped Teekl into his arms and teleported away.

"Robin! Zatanna!" a muffled voice yelled from behind the layer of rock that, thanks to Robin's explosives, blocked them from the other side of the tunnel.

"We're here!" the mistress of magic called back halfheartedly.

_'I've enabled the psychic link,' _Miss Martian informed the Team. _'We're clearing the rocks away, but it'll be a while before we can get to you.'_

_'No hurry,' _Robin responded.

Zatanna sunk to her knees and they waited in sheer silence, a silence that weighed heavily on their chests. Would things ever be the same again?

Robin's thoughts were running along a darker path. The witch boy had acted nonchalant about how Zatanna had pulled away from him, but Robin knew better. Klarion liked to finish what he started. And he wasn't done with Zatanna yet.


	6. Augur

Zatanna closed her bedroom door silently and collapsed onto her bed. She hadn't spoken with Dick since their confrontation with Klarion, and frankly, she wasn't really sure she wanted to. Her pillow was soon damp with tears, but eventually, she got tired of crying. Tired of everything. Her eyes were as leaden as her aching limbs, and it wasn't long before sleep claimed her.

Yet despite her lack of energy, she had a fitful onslaught of nightmarish dreams, causing her to thrash and cry out a number of times. But the thing about dreams is that they are so rarely ever _just _dreams.

She blinked away her tiredness and swiveled to take in the scene. A bridge extended from under her feet to a black-and-white dimension Klarion had claimed as his personal playground. Zatanna peered over her shoulder, where her body, now an empty shell, was curled up in bed.

A purring sound echoed from somewhere within the vicinity. "Where are you Klarion?" she hissed through her teeth.

"Eager to play my pet?"He appeared above her, reclining in midair.

"Why am I here?" she deadpanned.

The witch boy stroked his chin. "We are two sides of the same coin," he walked his fingers up his arms, "we share a certain connection."

"And just how do I break that connection?" Klarion's voice was starting to grate on Zatanna's nerves.

Klarion cackled. "You don't! The power of the key we were after earlier diverted into each of us. Together we form that key. And ever key has a lock."

Zatanna's cheeks reddened. She wasn't sure she liked where this conversation was going.

Klarion continued, "Our destinies are entwined now, baby magician." He took a dramatic pause to examine his nails. "Plus, I don't think you have much of a future with that bird boy of yours."

Anger flared up inside her. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to zap the smirk off of his face.

But the ghost of a whisper trickled to the surface of her mind. It was a voice, a child's plea. "Will you help us?"

If she didn't start singing to Klarion's tune he was bound to lose interest in their little 'game'. Zatanna forced a terse smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and stepped closer to him. "You're right," she began. Klarion raised his eyebrows, evidently unimpressed. The mistress of magic injected as much sincerity into her voice as she could muster, before continuing, "we both want the same thing. Power. Recognition. _Pleasure. _There's no denying that we work better together."

Klarion's lips curled into a twisted smile. He snaked his arm around Zatanna's waist. "Then by all means, let's play."

* * *

A hand rested on his shoulder. "Have you... have you spoken with Zatanna yet?"

Dick shrank away from Artemis' touch. "What makes you think I want to?" His eyes were hidden behind his pair of shades, but it didn't take a detective to guess they were clouded over.

"Please. It's obvious you two have feelings for each other."

"Yeah? Well maybe it's not that simple!" His voice automatically raised an octave, both defensive and forceful. "You sound just like Megan, acting like everything's just going to fix its self!"

Color rushed from Artemis' face as if she'd been slapped. "Newsflash Robin: I am not M'gann! In case you haven't noticed I'm not some innocent and naive girl, and I don't think that everything is solved by a few little words! I'm not Kaldur, who accepts pain and just moves on. And I am certainly not like Wally who just runs from it. But Zatanna is my friend, and if you really care about her, you'll work things out."

"I'm not the one at fault here!"

"Try," Artemis challenged, her almond shaped eyes narrowing. "At least try."

They locked eyes; both unyielding. After a few moments time, Dick broke the gaze, averting his eyes to stare at the floor. "Fine," he conceded.

Artemis grinned smugly, pleased to have won another battle, and left the room, leaving Robin to his own jumbled thoughts.

He slunk along the walls of Mount Justice, stopping outside of Zatanna's room. He rapped on her bedroom door, his reluctance fading away at the thought of seeing her. "Zee," he called softly. "You awake?" He was met with silence.

Robin was torn between retreating from this section of the cave, or entering her room. Would that count as intruding? He groaned. "Zatanna, if you're awake, I really need to talk to you."

Silence.

* * *

They stood side by side, overlooking the soulwell. The air around Zatanna and Klarion crackled with magical energy.

"What, exactly, is the plan?"

Klarion massaged her shoulder. "Relax dear pet. We're on the same side." His touch was almost... gentle? But Zatanna was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind his gesture.

"As you have already deduced, my goal all along has been to create a weapon." There was something odd about Klarion's tone of voice. It lacked aggression, and there was something both calming and sturdy and familiar about it. He sounded almost like, well, like Dick. Zatanna's chest ached with longing.

"According to ancient transcripts, there are three parts required for making the ultimate weapon. It requires an offering of human sacrifice, and the energy of a thousand trapped souls," he grinned, his teeth a brilliant white, "which I have already accomplished. I also need the raw power of one of the primordial relics; in this case the key. Finally, I require pure chaos. Which was contained in the ampoule that you shattered."

_I shattered?_

"But the chaos now runs through your blood, so in essence, you are the last thing I need for my weapon." A blast of crimson energy shot out, forming a chain, and coiled tightly around Zatanna before she was able to recite a protective spell.

Klarion's face once again contorted into his demonic form. He laughed cruelly, and his next words were a whisper against her skin. "But one last kiss before you die, to remind you, that in the end, you were _mine_." He leaned forwards, but his lips touched empty air. Zatanna had vanished.

* * *

"Huh," she gasped, her eyes flying open as she sat up with a jerk.

"Oh Zee," Dick sighed in relief. He, Artemis, and M'gann stood over her bed.

"Do you all like watching me sleep, or something?"

"We couldn't wake you!" M'gann fretted.

Zatanna clutched her head, swaying slightly. "Oh, it was just a bad dream, or something."

Dick gently moved the covers off of Zatanna. New burn marks ran along her skin, in a chain link pattern.

"I tried entering your dream, but I couldn't. My telepathy's been getting stronger, but I just couldn't." Miss Martian ducked her head miserably.

"Then what pulled me out of it?"

Artemis elbowed Dick in the ribs. "Let's just say our boy wonder here has quite the way with words."

Dick grinned sheepishly. "I tried talking to you, and I guess it must have worked."

Zatanna returned his grin, her eyes sparkling with a blue fire. "I thought I heard you. But how did you know?"

"I came by your room to talk, to work things out, when I heard you screaming. You mumbled a bit in your sleep. Something about Klarion."

Zatanna swallowed. Lately all she seemed capable of was messing up. Her father had given up his chance at living life to save her from Doctor Fate, and now she'd been caught with Klarion. Sure, they'd only been kissing, but how far would things have gotten if Dick hadn't been there? She was honestly so tired of always being ashamed. Could she really bring herself to confess everything?

She felt so trapped in the moment, but an hour had passed in no time at all. M'gann, Artemis, and Dick hadn't left her side. "I need to go back there."

"Zee? Are you crazy?! He'll kill you!" Dick clutched a handful of sheets, his knuckles turning white.

"We are so not letting you go back there," Artemis interjected.

"I made a promise earlier," Zatanna said slowly. "A promise to a little boy who Klarion trapped. He saved me, _they all_ saved me. I have to go back for them," she said insistently.

M'gann, Artemis, and Dick shared a look, worry etched upon each of their faces. M'gann offered a hesitant solution. "Back on Mars, the high priests and priestesses spoke of astral travelling, where multiple people could enter dream-like realities. If I link us up, the next time Zatanna falls asleep, we'll be with her. But the thing is, if one of us dies—"

"—Do it," Dick and Artemis interrupted in perfect unison.

M'gann hesitated, before shaking her head. "You don't understand how serious it is. If one of us dies in the dream... well, we all die."


	7. Prisoners

"I think there's something you need to see." Superboy's muscular arms were folded across his chest.

"What is the problem Superboy?" Aqualad rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The outside sky was only just morphing into a myriad of pink, yellow and orange hues, and after returning from their previous mission well after midnight, it was an understatement to say that Kaldur was tired. His minor concussion only contributed to his fatigue.

"My super-hearing picked up... I mean, I heard screaming."

"Is everyone alright?"

"Well, yeah. When I got there they were just sleeping."

"A-are you certain?" A bemused expression flitted across Kaldur'ahm's features; he was failing to see what the problem was.

Superboy tensed, his patience ebbing. "Look, just come with me."

They arrived outside of Zatanna's room. The door was slightly ajar. Kaldur's lips formed a surprised "o" shape as the two stepped inside.

Zatanna, Artemis, M'gann, and Robin were sprawled across the floor, their hands linking them together. Their chests rose and fell simultaneously, but their eyes were moving rapidly in different directions.

"Have your tried waking them?"

Superboy shook his head. "No luck. They're in some kind of trance. I think."

"Is it possible that some sort of sorcery is behind this?" As per usual, Aqualad's voice was level and calm.

"Dunno." Conner knit his eyebrows, running different scenarios through his mind.

Time slipped by, and their four unconscious teammates remained in the same state. Superboy and Aqualad heard a whoosh from behind, and Wally appeared behind them, dressed in his civilian clothes.

"You guys had a slumber party and didn't invite me?!" It was hard to determine whether he was merely mocking them, or genuinely offended.

"KF, it is good that you are here. Something has come over the team, but we have not been able to rouse them."

At that very moment, M'gann screamed out, her voice laced with pain. Superboy darted to her side, worry and concern seizing his features. Burn marks began to run across her skin. "Do something!" Conner yelled. He gripped Megan's shoulders, stunned by his feeling of hopelessness.

Several minutes later, Artemis cried out too. Her face glistened with moisture. Her hair was damp. She coughed and spluttered, evoking even more alarm in the three members of the team who remained awake.

Wally's green eyes widened, any hint of humor gone from his words. "Kaldur, what do we do?"

This was the hardest part of being a leader. Having to make impossible choices, that sometimes meant doing nothing.

"For now, all we can do, is wait."

* * *

Black spots ringed in white burst across Zatanna's vision. She opened her eyes, and, not surprisingly, was back in the world she had earlier so desperately tried to escape from.

"Oh, we are _so_ not in Kansas anymore," Artemis commented, tucking loose strands of her blonde hair back into her ponytail.

"You okay Miss M.?" Robin asked.

Miss Martian examined the pallor of her skin and gulped. She was too pale. They'd notice. Using her last bit of energy, she forced her flesh to take on its regular greenish tinge. "I'll be fine. Taking us here just took a lot. I'll need to rest."

No sooner had those words left her mouth, when a blazing red flame shot out from nowhere and licked its way up her body, eliciting an anguished cry from the martian.

"Emalf nrut ot retaw!" Zatanna yelled rapid-fire.

The fire obeyed the Mistress of Magic—changing instantly to water—but it was still under Klarion's control. The crimson water spurted towards Artemis as if it had a life of its own. It swirled around her face. She choked and burbled breathlessly, stumbling backwards as she tried to escape drowning... again.

"Etaropave!"

Artemis clawed at her throat as the water evaporated into steam.

"You okay?" Robin asked.

Artemis voice was little more than a whimper as she choked out, "oh, just trying to stay whelmed." She was starting to develop a case of hydrophobia, but that didn't mean she was going to show any weakness in front of her team.

The rush of steam was undulating like a heavy red fog as it curled towards Robin. "Wha—" As he inhaled, the steam rushed into his lungs. The irises in his eyes faded to a dull white, and he sunk to his knees. He lifted his head and stared vacantly. Then, Robin slowly retrieved a batarang from his utility belt and flung it straight at Artemis.

The last thing Zatanna saw before she felt Klarion's breath on her neck was M'gann, weak and collapsed; Artemis, still in shock; and Dick, being somehow controlled by the eerie fog.

Klarion wrapped his arms around Zatanna possessively. "How rude of you to bring uninvited guests," he sneered, slowly kissing her jawline.

Zatanna wrenched herself out of his hold, a shiver running down her spine. "Don't touch me Klarion!"

"You didn't seem to mind earlier."

Before she could utter a retort, Klarion clapped his hands lightly and Zatanna's lips clamped shut.

"Now that should occupy those brats for a while," he gestured to Artemis who was struggling to battle Robin, "but I need you with me."

A dizzy sensation was creeping over Zatanna, and as Klarion dragged her away from the fight, she found she had little resistance, and since she couldn't speak, she also couldn't spell cast.

"You know," he said as they stopped at the pinnacle where the soulwell rested, "I'm glad you left when you did. It gave me time to think."

_'How nice,' _Zatanna thought angrily.

Klarion smirked as the magician's silent thoughts penetrated his mind. _'Oh yes. In fact, I realized where I went wrong in my plan to kill you. Why lose a perfectly good toy when all that was needed was just a bit of your blood?'  
_

Klarion traced a circle in the ground, and a cruel looking blade magically appeared in his hand. Zatanna's heart pounded in her throat as she stood, frozen in place. He held the knife up to her face and drew several drops of blood from her. He flicked the fat droplets onto the ground. Upon landing in the circle, her blood glowed a brilliant red.

"Chaos."

He reached over the soulwell and a purplish light flooded the circle.

"Energy."

Klarion turned back to Zatanna. _'All I require now is power. And since you possess half the power of the key, I need you for this.'_

_'I won't help you.'_

Klarion smiled. His smile was condescending, as if he were an adult trying to explain something to a very small child. "What will your life be like five years from now? You've lost your father to Fate. You're magic will take years to further train and control. The Robin of yours won't want anything to do with you now that he's seen us together. You're fighting for the losing side."

_'I'll accomplish more with my friends than I will by helping the likes of you!'_

"The most you'll be able to accomplish in your short little life will be to gain a spot on the Justice League. And even that is unlikely. Join your powers to mine and you'll beat mortality. What do you say?"

The magic sealing Zatanna's lips shut dissipated. She took another moment to find her voice. "I could never help you."

_'When I'm finished you and I will be queen and king among mortals. The world will be our personal palace.'_

A single tear leaked from Zatanna's eyes, and once it reached a patch of dried blood on her cheek, it ran down her face like a single red streak. He was only telling her what she wanted to hear.

Klarion held his hand out to her and she moved hers to take it. But at the last second, her hand darted sideways and tipped the soulwell over.

"No, no, no!" Klarion screamed and struck his hand against Zatanna's face. Thousands of trapped souls went flying in all directions. Wind whipped Zatanna's raven-black hair, and dust flew into her eyes. But that didn't prevent her from hearing a soft, "Thank you." She squinted and saw the little boy who had rescued her, holding a rose in one hand, and the wrinkled hand of an old woman in the other.

Klarion screamed again, loudly and angrily as the souls he'd worked so hard to collect were freed, and could finally move on.

Strangely, all Zatanna felt towards the Lord of Chaos was pity. He'd manipulated her, toyed with her, and injured her. But his world was one of chaos, and hatred, and the closest thing he had to love was lust. So when Klarion hurled a bolt of energy towards her, she simply waved it away with a counter spell.

"We. Could. Have. Ruled." She heard the tremor in his voice. He was shaking with anger.

Zatanna could still sense the unspoken bond they shared, but regardless, she turned away from him, confident that he wouldn't land a fatal blow. She was ready to return home. But before that, she had one last thing to say. "In the end a palace is nothing more than a glorified prison, and a king and queen nothing more than its finest prisoners."

Whether her words were directed to Klarion, or a reminder to herself, she didn't know. But she had learned something valuable through all of her experiences—that the mind can be either a palace, or a prison. It all depends what you choose to make of it.


End file.
